A Handwritten Poem – Death is such a Lonesome thing…

Feb 28, 2025 | WWII

As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I run across all sorts of interesting objects when sifting through old maps, books, and ephemera. Recently, I was cataloging a report by the 1931 International Boundary Commission between Canada and the United States. A...
Recollections of the Battle of Surigao Straits (Samar Island)

Recollections of the Battle of Surigao Straits (Samar Island)

Apr 17, 2024 | Maps, WWII

What follows is my transcription of a first-person account of the Battle off Samar, one of the largest and bloodiest naval engagements in the broader Battle of Leyte Gulf. It has been replicated as faithfully as possible, including spelling and punctuation errors. The...
Trail of the Rainbow Division

Trail of the Rainbow Division

Apr 12, 2024 | Maps, WWII

I think it’s really our duty, with the years that we have remaining, to see that people never forget this. – Ken Carpenter (1920-2010), 232nd Infantry Regiment This gripping documentary chronicles the efforts of the 42nd Infantry ‘Rainbow’...